Movable wheeled inch worm toy



y 1965 c. D. TREVENA 3,181,270

MOVABLE WHEELED INCH WORM TOY Filed April 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1CHARLE S' BYWEQ/ ENA BY 7/ KM J ATTORNEY y 1965 c. D. TREVENA 3,181,270

MOVABLE WHEELED INCH WORM TOY Filed April 23, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR CHARLES DTREVENA BY M 7% W ATTORNEY y 1955 c. D. TREVENA3,181,270

MOVABLE WHEELED INCH WORM TOY Filed April 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet SINVENTOR.

CHARLES D TREVENA BY AK A222 JM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,181,270MOVABLE WHEELED INCH WORM TOY Charles Dale Trevena, 317th FIS, APO 942,Seattle, Wash. Filed Apr. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 275,114 Claims. (Cl.46-104) This invention relates to a mechanical toy which can bepropelled across a surface, and more particularly relates to a toycomprising a middle section suspended by jointed arm means between twowheel mounted endmost sections. The arm means are spring loaded to biasthe middle section to an elevated position from which it can be operablypushed downwardly to propel the toy. The wheels are ratcheted to beforward turning only so that when manual pressure is applied downwardlyon the middle section, the front section of the toy is pushed forwardlywhile the wheels on the rear section are locked against rearwardmovement by ratchet means. Upon release of the manual biasing force,which may be directly applied or applied by means of a control cable,the middle section is returned to elevated position by spring loadingthereby causing the rear portion to be pulled forwardly while the wheelson the front section are locked against rearward movement. The motion ofthe toy over a surface is one of alternate forward motion first of theforemost section of the toy, and then of the rearrnost section of thetoy. The differential motion between the front and rear sections of thetoy accompanies the alternate raising and lowering of the middle portionof the toy. The toy may preferably be configured to resemble an inchworm because the motion of the toy suggests the movement of an inch wormwherein the head and the tail of the worm move at alternate times withthe back of the worm being alternately hunched and flattened by themovements of head and tail.

It is an object of this invention to provide a toy which can bepropelled by novel means.

It is another object of this invention to provide a toy which can bepropelled over a surface by downwardly pushing on a suspended springbiased portion of the toy, the suspended portion being returned toelevated position by the spring biasing means to complete the locomotioncycle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a remotely controlledtoy which can be propelled across a floor surface continuously byalternate application and release of manual force.

Other objects will become apparent from the drawings and from thefollowing detailed description in which it is intended to illustrate theapplicability of the invention without thereby limiting its scope toless than that of all equivalents which will be apparent to one skilledin the art. In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like partsand:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toy of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation in section of the toy of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view in partial section of the toy of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 4 through 7 are side elevations in section of portions of otherspring loaded embodiments of the toy of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of a portion of the toy of FIGURE 1 with aremote control operating cable added.

In FIGURE 1 is shown a toy designated generally as 10 comprising forwardportion 11 wheel mounted by means of wheels 12, rear portion 13 wheelmounted by means of wheels 14, middle portion 15 shown in raised iceposition, and connecting sleeves 16 and 16' between the two end portionsand the middle portion. Front portion 11 of the toy is caused to moveforward by rotation of wheels 12 when pressure is exerted downwardly onmiddle portion 15. The toy is flattened and elongated by such pressureuntil middle portion 15 is substantially at the same level as the twoend portions, whereupon the downward force is released and the toy isreturned to the position shown in FIGURE 1 by spring return meansconcealed within the toy. Upon return movement of middle section 15upwardly, rear portion 13 is drawn forward over the floor surface onwheels 14.

In FIGURE 2 the toy of FIGURE 1 is shown in crosssectional sideelevation. Two sets of radial arms 18 are shown, one set of whichconnects middle portion 15 with forward portion 11 of the toy and theother set of which connects middle portion 15 to rear portion 13 of thetoy. Both ends of the radial arms are pivotally mounted and a tensilelystressed spring 17 is provided to bias each set of radial arms, one endof each spring being aflixed to the upper arm in each case at the end ofthe arm nearest the end extremity of the toy and with the other end ofthe spring in each case connected to the lower radial arm at theextremity of the arm nearest the middle of the toy. Thus, it will beseen that when section 15 is forcibly pressed downward, springs 17 areelongated and radial arms 18 are moved into substantially horizontalposition. The forward portion 11 of toy 10 is caused to move forward bythis movement with ratchet wheel 19 being turned in a counter-clockwisemanner as shown in FIGURE 2 and pawl 20 riding freely thereover. Ratchetwheel 19' is locked by engagement with pawl 20' in the rear portion 13of toy 10 and cause wheels 14 to be locked in position. Ratchet wheelsand pawls 19, 19' and 20, 20', respectively, are mounted to ratchetfreely in a forward direction only so that only the front portion of thetoy is propelled by section 15 being biased downwardly. When force iswithdrawn from the back of middle portion 15 of the toy, springs 17contract thereby again raising middle portion 15 to the position shownin FIGURES 1 and 2 and cause pawl 20 to lock ratchet wheel 19 while pawl20' in the rear of the toy ratchets freely over ratchet wheel 19'.

In FIGURE 3 is shown a plan view of toy 10 in partial section whereinarms 18 are rigidly braced by cross member 22 and are pivotally afiixedto cross members 23 and 23. Cross members 23 and 23' are secured inplace respectively in the centermost and the endmost portions of toy 10.Springs 17 can be anchored by being hooked over the transverse framemembers as shown.

In FIGURE 4 is shown another alternative method for spring rigging ofthe toy 10 of FIGURE 1. Springs 24 are affixed to the upper innersurface of end portions 11 and 13 as shown with the opposite end of thesprings being connected to the lower radial arms 18 in an operablemanner. The action of the toy equipped with spring 24 is identical tothat of a toy equipped with spring 17.

In FIGURE 5 is shown another embodiment of this invention wherein arms18', provided between middle section 15' and forward and rear portions11 and 13', respectively, are singly strung rod means. Meshed gearsectors are fixedly attached to the end extremities of arms 18' and arerotatable about fixed axles 31. The opposite end extremities arepivotally mounted on vertical braces 32 and are slidably pinned tobraces 32' as shown with slots in members 18' and 32 determining theextent of vertical travel of rods 18'. Rods 18' are spring loaded bytension springs 33 as shown. Wheels 12 and 14' are similarly attached tothe ratchet means as shown in FIG- URE 1 with the ratchet means notbeing shown for convenience, however, in FIGURE 6. Wheels 14' are placedQ Q on tandem axles to provide a stable mounting for braces 32' in therear portion 13' of the toy.

In FIGURE 6 is shown a modification of the toy of FIGURE 1 whereinradial arms 18 are biased by spring 34 disposed in middle portion 15" ofthe toy. The operation of the toy is similar to that described withrelation to FIGURE 1 with tension spring 34 biasing portion 15" intoelevated position when manual downward pressure on the toy is relieved.

In FIGURE 7 is shown another modification of the toy of this inventionwherein flexible resilient arms 18" are fixedly secured in centerportion 15" of the toy and the opposite end extremities thereof arepinned securely in forward and rear portions 11" and 13" by means ofpins 35. The arms may be made of spring metal or like material which canundergo elastic deformation and return to undeformed configuration (asshown in FIGURE 7) when the force causing deformation is removed. Thetoy shown in FIGURE 7 is operated in a manner similar to that describedfor other embodiments of the invention.

In FIGURE 8 is shown a modification of the invention wherein a flexiblecable is provided comprising a wire slidably encased in a flexiblesheath to enable the toy to be remotely actuated. The actuation mayeither be by pushing or by pulling the wire through the sheath, but thelatter arrangement is shown in FIGURE 8 with wire 36 being attached tofinger grip 39 and sheath 37tbeing at tached to thumb depressor 38. Theopposite end of wire 36 is affixed to radial arms 18 in the rear half ofthe toy and the opposite end of sheath 37 is afiixed to the rearextremity of rear portion 13". The toy is operably actuated byalternately pressing and releasing thumb depressor 38 while stationarilyholding finger grip 39.

While certain modifications and embodiments of the invention have beendescribed, it is of course to be understood that there are a greatnumber of variations which will suggest themselves to anyone familiarwith the subject matter thereof and it is to be distinctly understoodthat this invention should not be limited except by such limitations asare clearly imposed in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. A toy comprising in combination at least five discrete sectionsdisposed in longitudinal arrangement in an axial plane, wheel mountingmeans on the endmost of said sections, means provided on said endmostsections to restrain said wheel mounting means from rearward rotation,said sections comprising a foremost section, a rearmost section, andmiddle section, and a section connecting said foremost section to saidmiddle section, and a section connecting said rearmost section to saidmiddle section, said connecting sections each comprising means extendingrespectively from said foremost and rearmost sections to said middlesection to maintain the axes of said foremost section, said middlesection, and said rearmost section parallel, said device, comprisingresilient means causing said middlemost section to be biased to anelevation above said endmost sections, said middlemost section beingdisposed to be biased downwardly by manual force.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein said means for restraining said Wheelmounting means against rearward rotation comprises ratchet and pawlmeans.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein said means for restraining said wheelmounting means against rearward rotation comprises overrunning clutchmeans.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein said connecting sections each comprisean adjacent pair of pivotally mounted arm members disposed between saidforemost section and .said middle section and also said rearmost sectionand said middle section and further comprise spring biasing meansconnected to each said arm member.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein flexible cable means is provided forforcibly biasing said middle section by remote operation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,649,072 11/27McAllaster 46-152X 2,232,615 2/41 Kupka 46104 FOREIGN PATENTS 275,4768/51 Switzerland.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A TOY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AT LEAST FIVE DISCRETE SECTIONS DISPOSED IN LONGITUDINAL ARRANGEMENT IN AN AXIAL PLANE, WHEEL MOUNTING MEANS ON THE ENDMOST OF SAID SECTIONS, MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID ENDMOST SECTIONS TO RESTRAIN SAID WHEEL MOUNTING MEANS FROM REARWARD ROTATION, SAID SECTIONS COMPRISING A FOREMOST SECTION, A REARMOST SECTION, AND MIDDLE SECTION, AND A SECTION CONNECTING SAID FOREMOST SECTION TO SAID MIDDLE SECTION, AND A SECTION CONNECTING SAID REARMOST SECTION TO SAID MIDDLE SECTION, SAID CONNECTING SECTIONS EACH COMPRISING MEANS EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID FOREMOST AND REARMOST SECTIONS TO SAID MIDDLE SECTION TO MAINTAIN THE AXES OF SAID FOREMOST SECTION, SAID MIDDLE SECTION, AND SAID REARMOST SECTION PARALLEL, SAID DEVICE, COMPRISING RESILIENT MEANS CAUSING SAID MIDDLEMOST SECTION TO BE BIASED TO AN ELEVATION ABOVE SAID ENDMOST SECTIONS, SAID MIDDLEMOST SECTION BEING DISPOSED TO BE BIASED DOWNWARDLY BY MANUAL FORCE. 